Hitting pause on the Waka & Waewae Journey

Injury halts play! My packraft traverse of Aotearoa is on hold. For now.

Kia ora e te whānau!

It's with great sadness I have to pause and postpone The Waka & Waewae Journey. Again. It's not a decision I've taken lightly. It's not a decision at all. Due to injury, I have no choice.

Tendonitis, which is the presumed affliction right now (thanks Helle for the advice from the other side of the planet!), takes weeks not days to heal. NZ will likely be well into winter by the time I'm remotely fit to paddle again… and it was already pretty ruddy cold in the Whanganui gorge this week!

If I'm extremely careful with lifting my pack, I can still wear it and hike, but solely hiking ain't what The Waka and Waewae Journey is about. If I wanted to hike the length of the country, I'd be on Te Araroa, with bells and whistles and a far lighter pack. (Nah, I'm saving TA for my 50th!)

I'm gutted. I'm massively disappointed. I wanted to tick off Te Ika-a-Māui before the cold came. I wanted to complete the Whanganui Awa in one hit. I wanted to raise more for my chosen charities before heading into recess.

Still, patience is a virtue. When I cycled the coastline of this great land, obstacles and mishaps meant it didn't just happen overnight. It can feel like I just went out and smashed it, but when I recall the details, a lot of time, effort and blood went into that circuit. This adventure is no different. I remain committed and will be back in the spring to realise this goal!

There are also some silver linings to this situation. First up: it could be worse, right? The wrist of an incredibly privileged person is temporarily munted. Boo. Hoo. Secondly, my parents arrive here next week. I won't have seen them in person for two years, three months and 29 days. So, yeah, I'm excited about that. Oh, and finally, had the journey continued uninterrupted, it was looking like I was going to be in Palmerston North on Monday. And Monday is my birthday. So, there's also that…

Down but not out: I'll return to The Waka & Waewae Journey in spring

Thanks for all the tremendous support with this project! I know I say it a lot, but it really does mean the world. A comment (positive or negative) truly can spur me on to reach the next checkpoint. I look forward to sharing some awesome winter Aotearoa experiences with you from the north. I also hope you'll share your adventures and ideas with me too!

This is NOT the end! Mā te wā!
Dx